Process for producing conjugated diolefin polymers having high regularity with a co- or ni-chelate compound/organoaluminum halide catalyst



United States Patent 61,614 US. Cl. 260--94.3 18 Claims Int. Cl. C08d 1/14, 1/16 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A process for producing a high molecular weight homoor co-polymer of high regularity which comprises polymerizing conjugated diolefins with a catalyst system containing a C0 or Ni metal chelate (the ligand is a cyclic compound and at least one of the carbon atoms which constitute the ring of the cyclic compound takes part in the chelate ring) and an organoaluminum halide.

This invention relates to a catalyst composition and a method for polymerizing or copolymerizing conjugated diolefines therewith. More particularly, this invention relates to a catalyst composition consisting of (a) an organoaluminum halide and (b) a metal chelate compound and to a method for polymerizing at least one conjugated diolefine, particularly butadiene, with the above-mentioned catalyst composition, the metallic ion of said metal chelate compound being selected from the group consisting of cobalt and nickel ions, and the ligand of said metal chelate compound being formed of a chelating agent having a member selected from the group consisting of aromatic and heterocyclic rings at least one carbon atom of which ring participates in the formation of the chelate ring of said chelate compound, and electron donor atoms of said chelating agent being selected from the group consisting of 1) a pair comprising two oxygen atoms, (2) a pair comprising one nitrogen atom and one oxygen atom (3) two pairs, each comprising one nitrogen atom and one oxygen atom and (4) a pair comprising one nitrogen atom and one sulfur atom.

As regards catalyst compositions for producing a high molecular weight polymer having relatively high cis-1,4 content by polymerizing butadiene, there have been known combinations of organoaluminum halides and cobalt or nickel compounds. It has also been known that among such combinations, a soluble catalyst composition containing a cobalt compound affords especially high elfectiveness. However, no catalyst composition prepared from the above-mentioned metal chelate compound has ever been known.

An object of the present invention is to provide a catalyst composition which is effective for the production of high molecular weight polymers having structures of extremely high regularity by polymerizing conjugated diolefines, particularly 1,3-butadiene. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a high molecular weight polymer having high structural regularity by the polymerization of a conjugated diolefine, particularly LEI-butadiene.

It has now been discovered that these and other objects may be accomplished by the catalyst composition of the present invention which contains a metal chelate compound as an elfective constituent for polymerizing conjugated diolefines, particularly butadiene, together with an organoaluminum halide.

The metal chelate compound used in the present invention is characterized in that it contains an aromatic or heterocyclic ring and at least one carbon atom of this ring participates in the formation of the chelate ring. Since said chelate compound is stable against moisture, oxygen and heat, it is easy to handle and can be weighed precisely. These advantages aitord good reproducibility in the polymerization with a catalyst containing a metal chelate compound.

Since the chelate compound and the catalyst composition prepared therefrom are generally soluble in inert hydrocarbons which comprise polymerization media, they are highly effective for the polymerization of conjugated diolefines, particularl butadiene. In other words, the amount of the catalyst necessary to obtain a suflicient polymerization velocity is surprisingly small. One mol of such a chelate compound is able to polymerize 50,000 mols of customary rubber grade butadiene. Furthermore, the catalyst prepared from such a chelate compound affords high molecular weight polybutadiene having substantially all cis-l,4 structure and no gel fraction.

Metal chelate compounds are to be understood as sub stances in which the metal atom is combined with one or more pairs of electron donor atoms by principal and auxiliary valencies in one molecule. As regards such compounds, a detailed description can be found, e.g., in A. E. Martell and M. Calvin, Chemistry of the Metal Chelate Compounds, Prentice-Hall, Inc., New York (1952).

According to said description, a metal chelate compound is produced, regardless of mode of bond, according to the following equation:

wherein M means a metal ion, means a chelating agent, and A means an electron donor atom capable of joining to the metal ion M by principal and auxiliary valencies.

be expressed by the general formula:

in the case of bi-valent metal ion or in the case of tri-valent metal ion. The chelate ring of the metal chelate compound is a ring formed by the combination of M and in the above-mentioned Formula I.

The metal chelate compounds used in the present invention have the above-mentioned general Formula I in which M is either cobalt or nickel, and the chelating agent A-A participating in the formation of the ligand possesses at least one aromatic or heterocyclic ring, at least one carbon atom of said ring participates in the formation of the chelate ring, and A is an atom selected from pound of the present invention:

O M N N J wherein M is a cobalt or nickel ion and 0 N N o is a chelating agent.

Though the chelate compound used in the present invention may contain principally a bi-valent or tri-valent cobalt ion or a bi-valent nickel ion, those which contain cobalt ion are preferable because they afford high molecular weight polymers.

As cobalt and nickel compounds for preparing said metal chelate compounds, salts which are readily obtainable, such as cobaltous chloride, cobaltous acetate, nickel chloride, and nickel acetate, may be used.

Chelating agents which participate in the formation of the metal chelate compound used in the present invention can be illustrated as follows:

(A) Chelating agents which form the metal chelate compounds corresponding to the formula on the right side of the general Equation 1:

(l) Chelating agents possessing an aromatic ring substituted with an oxygen-containing radical capable of being joined with a metal ion and possessing, as an electron donor, a nitrogen atom in the position which is apart from the abovementioned radical by 2 or 3 carbon atoms including at least one carbon atom of said aromatic ring:

Salicylaldehydeimine, salicylaldehyde methylimine, salicylaldehyde phenylimine, salicylaldehyde benzylimine, 8-hydroxy quinoline, S-methyl-S-hydroxyquinoline, l0-hydroxybenzoquinoline, l-hydroxyphenazine, salicylaldoxime, 2 hydroxy l-acetophenoneoxime, phenanthrene monooxime, o-nitrosophenol, u-nitroso-fl-naphthol, anthranilic acid, 3-amino-2-naphthoic acid, quinaldinic acid, phenazine-ot-carboxylic acid, 2-benzeneazophenol, 4-rnethyl-2-benzene-azophenol, 9-(m-tolylazo)-l0-phenanthrol, o-hydroxybenzylamine, 4-methyl-2-benzene azophenol.

(2) Chelating agents possessing an aromatic ring substituted with an oxygen-containing radical capable of being joined with a metal ion and possessing, as an electron donor, another oxygen atom in the position which is apart from the abovementioned radical by 2 or 3 carbon atoms including at least one carbon atom of said aromatic ring:

salicylaldehyde, a-hydr0xyacetophenone, o-vanillin, 2- hydroxy 1 naphthaldehyde, S-hydroxynaphthoquinone, alizarin, quinizarin, naphthazarin, tropolone, hinokitiol, pyromeconic acid, kojic acid, hydroxyxanthone.

(3) Chelating agents possessing an aromatic or heterocyclic ring substituted with a sulfur-containing radical capable of being joined with a metal ion and possessing, as an electron donor, a nitrogen atom in the position which is apart from the above-mentioned radical by one or two carbon atoms including at least one carbon atom of said ring:

2-mercaptobenzoxazole, Z-mercaptobenzimidazole, 2- mercaptobenzothiazole, 2-mercapto-4H-3,l-benzothiazine, 2-mercapto-4H-3,l-benzoxazine, thiosaccharin, Z-mercaptopyridine, Z-mercaptopyrimidine, S-mercaptoquinoline, 2-thiouracil, 4-thiouracil, thiopental, thiobarbituric acid, mercapto thioketothiodiazole, mercaptophenylthiothiodiazolone, 3-thiourazole, mercaptotetrazole, mercaptopurme.

(B) Chelating agents which form the metal chelate compounds corresponding to the formula on the right side of the general Equation II, wherein the adjacent O and N are situated apart from each other by carbon atoms including 2 carbon atoms of an aromatic ring, and the two N atoms adjacent are linked through a hydrocarbon radical:

Bis (salicylaldehyde ethylenediimine, bis salicylaldehyde -o-phenylenediimine, bis (salicylaldehyde -m-phenylenediimine, bis(salicylaldehyde)decamethylenediimine, bis(sa1icylaldehyde -;8-methyltetramethylenediimine.

The above-mentioned chelate compounds are readily available or can be synthetized by a conventional chemical method.

The metal chelate compounds used in the present invention can be prepared readily from said chelating agents and cobalt or nickel salts by procedure well known in quantitative analysis.

In this specification and the attached claims, these metal chelate compounds will be hereinafter referred to as his (chelating agent) metal or tris(chelating agent) metal for the purpose of specifying them. For example, a chelate compound prepared from cobaltous salt and salicylaldehydeimine will be referred to as bis(salicylaldehydeirnine) C0 These metal chelate compounds are stable in air, nonhygroscopic in nature, and soluble in reaction diluents, particularly in aromatic hydrocarbons.

The amount of the metal chelate compound used can be varied over a relatively wide range. Though its optimum amount varies with the kind and the purity of monomer and reaction diluent, and other polymerization condition, it is generally in the range of 0.05 to 3 mmols per 1. of the reaction diluent.

The other constituent of the catalyst composition of the present invention, organoaluminum halide, is an aluminum halide having at least one hydrocarbon radical combined with aluminum through the CAl bond and the hydrocarbon radical is e.g., an alkyl or aryl radical which has one to eight carbon atoms, for example, methyl, ethyl, propyl, n-butyl, iso-butyl, n-octyl, 2-ethyl-hexyl and phenyl. One of the hydrocarbon radicals may be c0mbined with aluminum through an oxygen atom so as to form alkoxy'or aryloxy linkage. The halogen atoms participating in the formation of the organoaluminum halide are preferably chlorine and bromine. The preferred examples of the organoaluminum halides used in this invention are diethylaluminum chloride or bromide, ethylaluminum dichloride, ethylaluminum sesquichloride and ethyl-ethoxyaluminum chloride.

The amount of the organoaluminum compound can also be varied over a wide range, but the moles therefore generally from 2 to 300 times the number of moles of the metal chelate compound. Its optimum amount varies according to the monomer. For example, when the monomer is butadiene, it is in the range of 30 to 250 times the amount of the metal chelate compound and when the monomer is isoprene or 1,3-pentadiene, it is near the lower limit.

The preparation of the present catalyst is simple: All that is necessary is to mix the catalyst constituents in a hydrocarbon diluent. The order of addition of each catalyst constituent is optional. In other words, a metal chelate compound can be added to an organoaluminum halide in a diluent or the reverse order may be adopted. The catalyst may be prepared in the presence of a monomer, but it is also possible to introduce a monomer after the catalyst preparation. The catalyst thus prepared or the total amount of each constituent of the catalyst may be added to the polymerization system all at once, but intermittent or continuous addition over the total period of polymerization time is an alternative. If necessary, it is possible to add the monomer to the polymerization system slowly.

When conjugated diolefines are polymerized in l P ence of the novel catalyst composition of the present invention, the polymerization is, in general, directed to 1,4-addition and especially in the case of butadiene, a polymer containing more than 99 percent of cis-1,4structure is generally obtained. Such conjugated diolefines include 1,3-

6 presence of a catalyst composition consisting of bis(8-hydroxyquinoline)Co and diethylaluminum chloride.

A sufficiently dried three-necked separable flask equipped with a stirrer was flashed with de-moistured nitrogen, 0.16 mmol of bis(8-hydroxyquinoline)Co was butadiene, i.e., a member having the simplest constitution; 5 precisely weighed and introduced therein and 800 ml. of isoprene and 1,3-pentadiene, i.e., a methyl derivative purified toluene containing 1 mmol of water was added. thereof; and 1,3-butadiene derivatives substituted by higher The resulting mixture was a pale yellow solution containalkyl groups. These diolefines can be polymerized or coing a trace of insoluble matter. polymerized readily by the method of the present inven- 10 This mixture was cooled at a temperature of 10 C. tion. and then 48.1 of butadiene gas (purity 99 percent) was The polymerization of the present invention can be bubbled into and absorbed in this mixture. 8 ml. of toluene carried out at a temperature of lower than 150 C. It containing 16 mmol of diethyl aluminum chloride were does not require outside pressure but proceeds at an added, and the polymerization was started. As soon as diantogenous pressure. If requi ed, the polymeriza ion can ethyl aluminum chloride solution was added, the reaction be carried out in a stream of an inert gas. Any type e.g. system become a completely homogenous mixture, slighthatch yp and continuous yp of polymefilation y ly yellowish red in color, then gradually increasing in be adopted. When a gaseous monomer is used, it is posviscosity and ultimately turning into extremely viscous sible to carry out polymerization while bubbling the liquid. The reaction system was maintained at a temperamonomer into the reaction system. If necessary, bulk po- 20 ture of 10 C. to 20 C. during the polymerization period. lymerization may be applied, but the type of solution After 90 minutes from starting the reaction, 50 ml. of polymerization carried out generally in the presence of methanol containing 2,6-dibutyl-4-hydroxytoluene (Ionol) an inert reaction diluent is preferable with respect to rein an amount of 2 g. per liter was added and the polymaction operation and quality of product. In such a case, erization was stopped. Then to a large amount of aboveany kind of diluent may be used so long as it is inactive mentioned methanol solution maintained at vigorously to the monomer, the catalyst or the resulting polymer. agitated state, the above-mentioned viscous reaction mass For example, aromatic hydrocarbons, such as benzene was added, drop by drop to precipitate polymer. Precipiand, toluene; aliphatic hydrocarbons such as n-hexane tated polymer was filtered and subjected to vacuum drying and, n-heptane; alicyclic hydrocarbons, such as cycloat a temperature of 50 0, whereby 112 g. of extremely hexane; halogenated derivatives thereof, such as monoelastic, white solid polymer was obtained. The characterchlorobenzene and dichlorobenzene, are illustrative. istic properties of this polymer were as follows: Among these reaction diluents, aromatic hydrocarbons are preferable since they allow the reaction to be carried [t]=3'27 out in a homogenous system. However, in some cases, M01 Percent a mixture thereof with a suitable proportion of an ali- Structure phatic or alicyclic hydrocarbon is used. The amount of structure the reaction diluent can be varied over a wide range. lz'vmylstmcmre In order to facilitate the reaction operation, it is desirous Example 2 to select the amount of the reaction diluent so that the concentration of the resulting polymer in the reaction 40 A glass reachoh thhei flashed Whh hemolsthred h diluent is less than 30 wt. percent. In the case of butah was Ice bath and then charged Y diene, it is preferably less than 20 wt. percent. Sf Yq Q Q OP, 35 ml. of toluene and dieth- The polymerization temperature can be selected over h h chlohde h f After hhhhhhg hhta a wide range, but it is generally Selected in the range diene gas mto the reaction mixture at a rate of about 100 f 5 C, to 150 C, f bly 2 to 100 ml./m1n. for 20 minutes, the feed of butadiene was The following examples are given to illustrate the pres- Stoppeh! h the Polymenzahoh was fohhhhed h f F ent invention but it will be understood that they are a defihhe tulle under the Stream Of nltrogen wh1le stirr ng merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope a macho The macho was chmeh out ah the f th i ti bath all the time. According to the variations of the As regards microstructures of the polymers produced amount of 'his(h'hydroxyqhiholihe)Con the mol Taho in these examples, a method of infra-red spectroscopy of difithyl aluminum chloride y Yq according to R. S. Silas, J. Yates, V. Thornton, Anal., J and the total time, the Y the Chem., 31, 529 (1959), was adopted for polybutadiene, trinsic viscosities and the microstructures of the polymers and the following literature was referred to for deterobtained are illustrated in Table 1.

TABLE I OO-chelate [AH/[Co] Total Polymer Microstructure, mol percent Run No. Compound (mol ratio) reaction Yield [p] (mmol) time (min.) (g.) (Its-1,4 Trans-1,4 1,2-Vinyl mining microstructures and compositions of polymers of Example 3 f and and copolymers of these After flashing a glass tube with de-rnoistured nitrogen, dlehes h bhtadlehe: bis(salicylaldehyde)Co and 35 ml. of toluene were Rlchaldson and Polymer 10, charged into a flask and the flask was cooled in an ice bath. 353 Diethylaluminumchloride was added finally. After intro- L. Porri, A. Carbonaro and F. Ciampelli, Kakromol, ducing butadiene at a rate of 100 ml./min. for 20 min- Chem., 61, 90 (1963). utes, the feed of butadiene gas was stopped but the polym- Molecular weights are indicated by intrinsic viscosities (,u.) as measured in benzene at a temperature of 30 C.

Example 1 erization was continued for a definite period of time.

The amounts of Co-chelate compound used, the mol ratios of Al to Co, the total reaction time at a temperature of ice bath (including the time from the start of buta- The polymerization of butadiene was carried out in the diene feed to the completion of reaction), the polymer 7 yields, the intrinsic viscosities and the microstructures are shown in Table 2.

8 (Al Et Cl were added. After feeding butadiene at a rate of 100 mL/min. for 20 minutes, the polymerization TAB LE 2 Co-chelate [AH/[Col Total Polymer Microstructure, mol percent Run No. Compound (mol ratio) reaction Yiel [n] (mmo time (m1n.) (g.) Cis-1,4 Trans'l,4 1,2-Vinyl Example 4 Using, as a chelate compound, bis(mercaptobenzimiaazole)Co and at a total reaction time of 1 hour, the same general procedure as in Example 2 was repeated to polymerize butadiene. The result is shown in Table 3.

was continued for 50 minutes. 0.95 g. of polymer were obtained after the same treatment as in Example 1. This corresponds to about 21 percent conversion based on the butadiene feed. Resultant polybutadiene has the following TABLE 3 Run Co-chelate [All/[Co] Polymer Microstructure, mol percent N0. compound (mol ratio) yie (mmol) (g. C1s-1,4 Trans-1,4 1,2-Vinyl Example 5 The results of polymerization of butadiene with a catalyst system consisting of one of the various cobalt and nickel chelate compounds and diethyl aluminum chloride are shown in Table 4. The same general procedure as in Example 2 was repeated for polymerization except that definite amounts of metal chelate compound and diethyl aluminum chloride were used. Butadiene gaS was introduced into the polymerization system cooled in an ice bath at a gas rate of 180 mL/min. for 20 minutes in run Nos. 15 and 16, at a gas rate of 100 ml./min. for minutes in run Nos. 2 and 7 and at a gas rate of 100 ml./min. for 20 minutes in the other experiments.

Soluble catalysts were formed as soon as diethyl aluminum chloride was added, but in run No. 5, the catalyst was not formed at a cooling temperature of the ice bath. Reddish violet soluble catalyst was formed when stirring was continued at room temperature for a while. In run No. 4, tris(ot-nitroso-fJ-naphthol)Co dissolved in toluene by itself, showing red color, but as soon as diethyl aluminum chloride was added, characteristic dark green complex was formed.

properties: [,u.]=1.79, microstructure of polymer, cis-1,4 98.9 mol percent, trans-1,4 0.9 mole percent, 1,2-vinyl 0.2 mol percent.

Example 7 Using 0.015 mmol of bis(mercaptobenzimidazole)Co as a chelate compound, and 1.50 mmol of ethyl aluminum sesquichloride as an organoaluminum halide, the polymerization of butadiene was carried out at room temperature for 2 hours by the same procedure as in Example 2. The resulting polymer was 1.48 g.; conversion was about 33 percent; and the properties of the polymer were as follows:

[,u]=3.76 Microstructure: Mol percent Cis-l,4 98.3 Trans-1,4 0.9 1,2-vinyl 0.3

Example 8 Using 0.49 mmol of bis(8-hydroxyquinoline)Co and TABLE 4 Metal chelate compound Microstructure (mol percent) Run No [AH/[Co] Total reaction Yield [,1] Type Amount (mol ratio) time (min) (g.) Cts-l, 4 Trans-1, 4 1, Z-Vinyl (mol) 1.. Bis(salicylaldehyde) ethylenediimine C0 0 030 82 60 3. 3 1. 70 99. 0 0. 5 0. 5

2 Bls(salicylaldoxime)N' 0. 035 70 30 5. 9 3 131s(salicyladlehydeimme)N1" 0. 035 70 140 3. 3 0. 11 88. 5 11. 2 0. 3 4 Tris(a-nitroso-B-napthol)Co 0. 035 70 8. 8 1. 67 98. 9 0.7 0. 4 5-- Bls(anthranilic acid) C0 0. 035 70 140 2. 8 1. 16 96. l 2. 7 1. 2 6-- Bis(a-benzoinoxime) Ni 0. 035 70 140 2. 2 0. 12 90. 0 9. 8 0. 1 7.- Bis(salicylaldehydeimine)Co 0. 035 70 30 5. 7 3. 03 99. 1 0.6 0.3 8 Bis (hydroxynapththo quinone) Co 0. 030 70 90 2. 45 2. 77 99. 5 0. 3 0. 2 Bis (hinokitiol) C 0- 030 100 70 4. 40 1. 43 97. 0 1. 6 1. 4 10. Bis(Z-hydroxy-l-naphthoaldehyde)C0 0. 030 100 4. O8 2. 40 99. 0 0. 5 0. 5 11 Bis(kojlc acid) 00 U- 030 100 60 4. 92 0. 76 95. 8 2. 2 2. 0 12. Bis (salicylaldehyde) Ni"- 0. 030 100 90 3. 43 0. 25 96. 5 2. 8 0. 7 13 Bis(alizariue)0o"...---... 0- 030 150 120 2.56 2. 71 99. 0 0. 6 0. 4 14. (oz-Hydroxyacetophenone) .00 0. 035 60 4. 53 2. 33 98. 8 0. 8 0. 4 15 Bis(o-vanillin) Co 0. 035 70 20 5. O0 3. 10 99. 2 0. 4 0. 4 16- Bis(quinizariu)Co 0. 035 70 20 7. 45 4. 28 98. 5 0. 9 0. 6 17 Bis(thiou.racil) C0 0- 035 70 2. 56 2. 31 99. 4 0. 3 0. 3 18- Bis (8-mercapto quinoline) Co 0. 020 100 3. 78 6. 19 99. 4 0. 3 0. 3 19, Bis (mercaptopurine) C0 0- 0 70 1. 3. 52 97. 3 1. 9 0. 8 20, Bis(rnereaptobenzothiazole)Ni 0. 020 100 120 0. 95 0. 91. 5 6. 5 2. 0 21- Bis(thi0barbituric acid) COIL" 0. 035 70 1. 58 l. 95. 5 2. 5 2. 0 22. Bis(mercaptobenzothiazole) Co 0. 020 60 4. 70 2. 29 97. 1 2. 0 0. 9 23 Bis(mercaptobenzoxazole)00".... 0.020 100 60 4. 32 3. 38 99.3 0. 4 0, 3

1 20 hours. 1 24 hours.

Example 6 2.45 mmol of ethyl aluminum dlchlorlde, the same pro- 0.025 mmol of bis(salicylaldehyde)Co and 35 ml.

of toluene were fed to a glass tube flashed with de- 70 moistured nitrogen in advance and, after being cooled in an ice bath, 2.50 mmol of ethylaluminum sesquichloride cedure as in Example 2 was repeated. The total reaction time was 80 minutes. The reaction system turned to light brown immediately after the addition of ethyl aluminum dichloride but gradually turned to pale blue and increased in viscosity. The properties of the resulting polybutadiene were as follows:

Polymer yield, 2.6 g.

1] 1.52 Microstructure: M01 percent Cis-1,4 98.3 Trans-1,4 1.0 1,2-vinyl 0.7

Example 9 Using 0.035 mmol of bis(mereaptobenzimidazole)Co and 1.75 mmol of ethyl aluminum dichloride, the same procedure as in Example 2 was applied to the polymerization of butadiene at room temperature for 2 hours. Yield, conversion, intrinsic viscosity and microstructure of the resulting polymer were as follows:

Polymer yield, 0.81 g. (conversion 18 percent) Microstructure: Mol percent Cis-1,4 97.8 Trans-1,4 1.9 1,2-vinyl 0.3

Example 10 After being cooled in an ice bath, a reaction tube, flashed with nitrogen in advance, was charged with 0.035 mmol of bis(8-hydroxyquinoline)Co 35 ml. of toluene and 2.45 mmole of ethoxyethylaluminum chloride. To this reaction system, butadiene was charged at a rate of about 100 ml./min. for 20 minutes. The polymerization was continued for an additional 70 minutes in a stream of nitrogen. The total reaction time was 90 minutes, and the reaction was carried out in an ice bath. The properties of the resulting polymer were as follows:

Polymer yield g 2.4 Micro structure Cis-1,4 Mol percenL- 97.7 Trans-1,4 d 2.1 1,2-viny1 do 0.2

Example 11 After being charged with 0.035 mmol of bis(salicyl- After the addition of 2.45 mmol diethyl aluminum chloride to the above-mentioned mixture, bu-tadiene was fed at a rate of about 100 ml./min. for 10 minutes. The polymerization was continued for further 2 hours. Total reaction time was 2 hours and 10 minutes and the reaction was carried out at room temperature throughout. The weight of the polymer was 2.5 g. (about 100 percent conversion). Its properties were as follows:

Mol percent Cis-1,4 98.1 Trans-1,4 1.3 1,2-vinyl 0.6

Example 12 After being cooled in an ice bath, a nitrogen-flashed reaction tube was charged with 0.025 mmol of bis(4-methyl-Z-benzeneazophenol)Co 35 ml. of n-heptane, and 2.5 mmol of diethyl aluminum chloride in this order. When diethyl aluminum chloride was added to a clear solution of the Co-chelate compound in heptane, red dish needle crystals were precipitated. After feeding bu-tadiene to this reaction system at a rate of about 100 mL/min. for 20 minutes, the reaction was carried out in an ice bath. The polymer yield was 4.39 g., which corresponds to 97.6 percent conversion. The properties of the polymer were as follows:

Mol percent Cis-1,4 99.0

Trans-1,4 0.6

1,2-vinyl 0.4

Example 13 After being flashed with de-rnoisturized nitrogen, a sufiiciently dried glass tube was charged with Co-chelate, 35 mols of toluene and diethyl aluminum chloride, successivel-y. To this system of reaction mixture, 5 ml. of isoprene were added and the reaction was carried out in a stream of nitrogen. Dbtained data are shown in Table 5.

TABLE 5 Co-ehelate compound Total Microstructure, Run AlEtzCl reaction Polymer mol percent N Amount (mmol) time yield Type mmol) (hr.) (g). 1-4 3-4 1 Bis(8-hydr0xyquino1ine)O0 0. 49 2. 60 3. 3 0. 40 60. 1 39, 9 2 Bls(salicy1a1dehyde)0o 11 0. 05 2. 5 2 2. 0 0. 44 58. 8 45. 2 3 Bis(mercaptobenzoimidazole)Co 0.05 2.5 3 1.5 61.8 38.2

aldehycleimine)Co a reaction tube flashed with nitrogen, E l 14 was further charged with 35 ml. of a reaction diluent having the following constituents:

Percent (wt.)

After being flashed with de-moisturized nitrogen, a sufficiently dried glass tube was charged with Co-chelate,

n-He tane 35- 35 ml. of toluene, and 5 ml. of 1,3-pentadiene, succes- P lviethylcyclohexane sively. After being cooled in an ice bath, this reaction FPentan? :3? mixture was admixed with diethylaluminum chloride. The g g gg izg polymerization was carried out for 3 hrs. after the reac- Azomatic hydrocarbon 35 tion temperature was returned to room temperature. Data Miscellaneous 0.3 are shown in Table 6.

TABLE 6 Co-ehelate compound Mlcrostructure 1 P1 (y) (moi percent) Toluene AlEtaC oymer Bun No Type Amount (ml.) (mmol) yield Cls- Trans- (mmol) (g.) vinylene vluylene Bis salieylaldehydiemine)Co 0. 035 35 2. 45 2.5 0. 46 0 100.0 2. Bisgsalicylaldehyde(Co 0.05 35 2.5 1.8 1.00 22.1 77.9 3. Bis(mercaptobenzoimidazole)Co"..- 0.05 20 2.5 3.5 0 100.0

1 1 Example 15 Co-chelate and toluene were charged in a reaction flask flashed with de-moisturized nitrogen. After cooling this mixture in an ice bath, isoprene was added and then 12 (l) a pair comprising one nitrogen atom and one oxygen atom, (2) two pairs, each comprising one nitrogen atom and one oxygen atom, and (3) a pair comprising one nitrogen atom and one butadiene was introduced in it. After the addition of di- 5 ethylaluminum chloride, the reaction was carried out for Sulfur atom a definite Period of time under agitation. The polyrm 2. A process according to claim 1 in which the metal erizafion product was precipitated in methanol, than chelate compoundis a cobalt chelate compound wherein collected and dissolved in benzene. It was precipitated the hgand composes a chelatmg agent having a p again in methanol containing a small amount of phenyl-B- comprising one oxygen atom and one nitrogen atom as naphthylarnine as an antioxidant. The yield of copolymer the electron donor atoms in the molecule, said oxygen obtained by such a purification and its microstructure are atom being contained in a substituent on the aromatic shown in Table 7. ring, and said nitrogen atom being apart from the oxy- TABLE 7 Con- Microstructure 01 each monomer Polymerization tent unit in copolymer Co-chelete compound Dlene used time (hr.) Coof iso- Run Tol- AlEtzCl poiyprone Butadiene Isoprene No. Type Amount uene (mmol) Iso- Buta- In an Room mer [p] in 00- parts parts (mmol) prene diene ice temp. yield polybath (g.) mer Cis- Trans- 1,2- 1,4- 3,4-

(per- 1,4 1,4 vinyl strucstruccent) ture ture 1 Bls(8-hydroxy- 0.29 250 14.7 25 5.6 3 2 27 71.2 2.2 26.6 72.9 21.1

gii r ioline) 2 Bis(salicylalde- 0.5 350 25 10 0.5 44.9 0. 75 8.1 88.5 10.5 1.0 91.0 0.0

hyde C0 3 Bis(mercapto- 0.05 2.5 5 2 3 3.1 35.0 88.5 1.0 10.5 91.0 9.0

benzimidazole)Co".

Example 16 gen-containing substituent by 2 to 3 carbon atoms, includ- A dried glass tube was flashed with nitrogen and mg at least one of the .carbon at9ms the i fi ring charged with 0.05 mmol of bis(mercaptobenzimidaz- A process accqrduig to .clalm 2 m 1 9 saldnmetal ole)Co 5 ml. of 1,3-pentadiene, 20 ml. of toluene, and chelate compound 18 l?ls(sahcyl.aldehydelm.me)CP 4.5 g. of butadiene and finally with 2.5 mmols of diethyl A process accqrdmg to cialm 2 m whlch 316ml aluminum chloride. The polymerization was carried out chelate compound 13 KQ I i Q at room temperature for 3 hours. Thus 5.8 g. of copoly- 40 A Process accqrduig to clalm 2 winch metal mer was obtained. According to the analytical result of chelate compound 13 i i i i i the resulting rubbery copolymer by infrared spectroscopy, A procoss or ing to claim 2 111 'Wh1chnSa1d metal an absorption band at 7.26 corresponding to the methyl chelate compound ls blswnthraplhc Q Q radical of 1,3-butadiene, was observed. Its microstruc- A Process accPrdmg to clam 1 m whlch the metfll mm was as follows. chelate compound is a cobalt chelate compound wherein M01 percent the ligand comprises a chelating agent having a. pair comciswinylene 841 prising one sulfur atom and one nitrogen atom as the Trans vinylene 124 electron donor atoms in the molecule, said sulfur atom Vinyl 5 being contained in a subst1tuent on the ring selected from the group consisting of aromatic and heterocyclic rings,

As is apparent from the examples, polymers or copolyand said nitrogen atom being apart from the oxygenmers which are valuable as industrial raw materials can containing substituent by 1 to 2 carbon atoms, including be produced efficiently and economically from conjugated at least one of the carbon atoms of said rings, dielle compounds Via Polymerization of po ymeriza- 8. A process according to claim 7 in which the metal tion according to the method of the present invention. chelate compound is bis(mercaptobenzimidazole)Co As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, many 9. A process according to claim 7 in which the metal variations and modifications 0f the invention 68.11 be pr 8.0- chelate compound is bis(mercaptgbenzothiazole)Co ticed in View of the foregoing disolosuro- However, they 10. A process according to claim 7 in which the metal are believed to come within the spirit and SCOPE of tho chelate compound is bis(mercaptobenzoxazole)C invention. 11. A process according to claim 7 in which the metal What we claim is: chelate compound is bis(8-mercaptoquino1ine)Co A lol'oooSS for the Polymerization of at least one 12. A process according to claim 1 in which the metal conjugated diolefine which comprises contacting at least h l compound i a cobalt chelate compound repre. one conjugated diolefine with a catalyst composition Sented b h f l comprising (a) 2 to 300 mols of an onganoaluminum halide, and 0 /ow (b) one mol of a metal chelate compound in which C0 the metal ion is an ion selected from the group consisting of cobalt and nickel ions and the ligand corn- I prises a chelating agent having a ring selected from the group consisting of aromatic and heterocyclic 7 wherein the adjacent O and N are situated apart from rings, at least one carbon atom of said ring partieach other by 3 carbon atoms including 2 carbon atoms cipating in the formation of the chelate ring of said of an aromatic ring, and the two N atoms adjacent are chelate compound, and the electron donor atoms of linked through a hydrocarbon radical selected from the said chelating agent being selected from the group group consisting of alkylene and arylene radicals. consisting of 13. A process according to claim 12 in which the metal 13 chelate compound is bis(salicylaldehyde)ethylenediirnine- Co 14. A process according to claim 1 in which the organoaluminum halide is selected from the group consisting of dialkyl aluminum halides, alkyl aluminum dihalides, alkyl aluminum sesquihalides, and mixtures thereof.

15. A process for the polymerization of 1,3-butadiene to a high melecular polymer having essentially cis-structure which comprises contacting 1,3-lrutadiene with a catalyst composition comprising (a) 2 to 300 moles of an organoaluminum halide and (b) one mole of a metal chelate compound in which the metal ion is an ion selected from the group consisting of cobalt and nickel ions and the ligand comprises a chelating agent having a ring selected from the group consisting of aromatic and heterocyclic rings, at least one carbon atom of said ring participating in the formation of the chelate ring of said chelate compound, and the electron donor atoms of said. chelating agent being selected from the group consisting of (1) a pair comprising one nitrogen atom and one oxygen atom, (2) two pairs, each comprising one nitrogen atom and one oxygen atom, and (3) a pair comprising one nitrogen atom and one sulfur atom.

16. A process according to claim 15 in which the polymerization of 1,3-butadiene is conducted in the presence of a solvent selected from the group consisting of aromat- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,135,725 6/ 1964 Carlson et a1 260-943 3,296,220 1/ 1967 Kasting et a1 260-943 3,297,667 1/ 1967 Von Dohlen 260-943 FOREIGN PATENTS 665,100 Canada.

OTHER REFERENCES Martel et al.: Chemistry of Metal Chelate Compounds, Prentice-Hall, Inc., New Jersey (1952), QD 411 M38, pp. 502-503.

JOSEPH L. SCHOF-ER, Primary Examiner.

R. A. GAITHER, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 260-82.1 

